Not My Yacht
by kci47
Summary: Ongoing series of drabbles that may or may not be related featuring ADA Barba and Sergeant Benson. Based on @thebarsondaily's weekly prompts. Ratings range K-M. [[BARSON]]
1. touch

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 296  
thebarsondaily prompt: touch

* * *

"Seriously, Barba? Care to tell me why this warrant was rejected?" Olivia stormed into the ADA's office prepared to do battle.

Barba was already up out of his chair and pacing. He made a show of glancing at his watch before he spoke. "Well, that only took eight minutes. A new record. Did you run all the way or take an Uber?"

"Cut the crap, Barba. I'm telling you, this guy is guilty. I have a feeling—"

"Oh, alright then. Let me just call up the judge and tell him 'Sergeant Benson has a _feeling_ ' and I'm sure he'll fax that warrant right over," Barba scoffed.

"You don't have to be rude. I've been in this business for almost two decades, I think I know when my instincts are right," Olivia argued.

"Instincts don't hold up in a court of law," Barba retorted sharply. He stopped pacing and placed his hands on the edge of his desk, leaning forward. "You _know_ this, Olivia. Arguing with me about it will just make us both angry."

"Angrier," Olivia muttered, emphasizing the _-ier_.

Barba resumed his furious pacing. "Yes, yes, angrier. I swear sometimes I..." He trailed off, shaking his head. It was unlike him to bite his tongue, and Olivia watched, fascinated, as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"You wanna take a swing at me, Counselor, go right ahead," Olivia said, hoping to provoke him.

Barba swung around to face her, his expression incredulous. He came forward until they were very close. "If I were to touch you, Olivia, believe me—it wouldn't be to hurt you."

Olivia took a deep breath, thinking of a suitable comeback. But Barba was apparently done arguing with her, because he leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss...

* * *

 **A/N: I just started with thebarsondaily's weekly tumblr prompts and hope to keep it up. If you have prompt ideas just comment and I'll try to write to them! I'm HaughtyHippogriff on tumblr, follow along and play with me!**


	2. turkey

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: turkey

* * *

"It sure was nice of the precinct to feed us," Carisi said as he dropped into his seat and tucked into his heavily-laden plate.

"Yeah, considering they had us here working, and all," Amanda replied. "I'd have rather been home with Jessie."

"First rule of being a cop—you no longer get holidays," Fin added.

"Still," Carisi said between mouthfuls, "it's pretty festive, ya know?"

Amanda nodded once and they fell silent. She supposed it _was_ festive, all things considered. They had decorated the squad room with balloons and streamers in autumn colors, there was a large pumpkin on the serving table, and there was even a costumed turkey lurking in the corner.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen the turkey move from its spot this whole time.

"Hey—is that turkey over there a statue, or what?"

Nobody knew, and they continued to eat until Olivia joined them a few moments later.

"Happy Thanksgiving," she said, only partially managing to keep the sarcasm out of her tone.

"You, too, Liv," Fin said, patting her on the shoulder. It was as affectionate as Fin ever got.

"Say, Sarge—do you know the story on that turkey in the corner?"

"Hmm, maybe. How do you mean?" Olivia glanced at the turkey and a smile curved her lips.

"I mean, is it a person or what?"

"Oh, it's definitely a person." Olivia smirked.

All three of pairs of eyes looked at her curiously.

"Okay, now you're gonna have to explain," Fin said.

"Nothing to explain. He lost a bet and now he's the fowl entertainment," she said, and laughed, clearly amused with herself.

"He who? And wasn't Barba supposed to swing by?" Carisi asked.

Olivia caught her breath long enough to say: "Who did you think lost the bet?"

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks to barsonaddict for suggesting I go back to all the previous thebarsondaily prompts! 2 down, 20 to go!**


	3. anger

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: anger

* * *

Rafael Barba made his way warily down to the basement of the precinct, a place where he had never before ventured.

 _With good cause,_ he thought as he stepped over a puddle while ducking a cobweb. The basement was dark, dingy, and reeked of an odor he did not care to name. This place needed a renovation, immediately. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if this particular level of the building didn't technically meet NYC Building Code.

Perhaps an anonymous call was in order...

He would never have come down here, except for the fact that his quarry was purported to be lurking in the dim reaches of this bizarre underground. While he suspected that Tutuola wouldn't hesitate to lie to him about his target's whereabouts, all it took was a stern look at Carisi and _that_ man had said the same. Ergo, the person he was looking for was, indeed, here.

Somewhere.

Now all he had to do was follow this labyrinth hall to its hopeful conclusion. Rounding a corner, sounds began to reach his ears—muffled curses, soft thuds, shoes scuffling over flooring. Turning one last corner, Rafael peered into the doorway that appeared. The lights were brighter here, the air not quite as stale. He'd found the precinct's gym at last.

The detective he was searching for pounded away at a boxing dummy, delivering blow after blow to its head. Ruthlessly. Relentlessly. Furiously.

"Remind me never to make you angry," he said drily, stepping into the space.

Olivia stopped, wiped her brow, and took a deep breath. Then she spun the dummy around to face him and he came face to face with...himself. A rather rumpled, _clearly_ abused print out of his face, plastered onto the dummy's head. Into the ensuing silence, Olivia chirped, "Too late, Barba."


	4. trust

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: trust

* * *

"Remind me again why I had to be here?" Rafael grumbled from his spot between Olivia and Fin. They were sitting on the carpeted floor and Rafael feared for his suit.

"You wanna be part of this squad, you gotta put in the work," Fin proclaimed. Rafael's back teeth ground together as the other man grinned smugly.

"It's not so bad, Barba," Olivia added. "Just another six hours—"

"Six? You said this was a half-day affair!"

"Oh, dear," Olivia said in a tone that wasn't at all contrite. "I don't think I would have; Fin, I said it was all day, didn't I?"

"That's what I heard, Sarge," Fin replied, openly laughing now.

"You definitively did _not_ mention all day," Rafael growled. "I have a two o'clock—"

"Okay, everyone, let's begin! Up you go!"

Rafael glared at the petite woman who was running this farce. Much as he wanted to storm out, he _had_ promised the SVU squad that he would join them. _'It will be a great opportunity to get better acquainted,'_ Rollins had said. _'It would mean so much to us'_ —Olivia's heartfelt plea.

Liars and actors, all of them.

He had no doubt he was here today because they were hazing him, initiating him into their tight-knit group. They wanted to humiliate him so that they were all on even footing. What they didn't understand, yet, was that he would deliver their retribution...eventually.

"Up!" the instructor squeaked again.

Rafael stood and faced Fin, then thought better of it. He turned to Olivia.

"Don't you trust me?" she asked, amusement touching her features.

"Not a bit," he grumbled.

Olivia's smile grew. "I don't trust you either, Counselor," she replied. Then she turned her back, crossed her arms over her chest, and let herself fall towards him.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm thinking of those trust exercises where you rely on your partner to catch you!**


	5. blush

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: M  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: blush

* * *

Rafael retired to his favorite bar after a long week, only to find that he wouldn't be in blissful solitude with his scotch like he hoped.

"Barba!" Carisi's voice rang out, and when Rafael attempted to wave rather than walk over to say hello, Carisi half-stood and gestured wildly. Sighing, Rafael approached their table.

"Barba, you gotta join us," Carisi enthused.

"Oh, that's really not—"

"We insist! Don't we, guys?" In typical Carisi style, he didn't wait for an answer before bounding off to grab another chair. Rafael noted Tutuola, Cragen, and a few other detectives from Homicide.

Carisi returned with a chair. Rafael clapped Cragen on the shoulder as he sat and said, "Captain, good to see you."

The group was already several drinks in and very jovial, so Rafael downed his scotch to catch up. He discovered this was a monthly get-together. After he'd had three drinks, Cragen and the others called it a night, leaving Rafael with Fin, Carisi, and a Crime Tech. Rafael couldn't remember the last time he'd let loose like this. Two _more_ rounds and the talk turned R-rated.

"Most erotic thing you've ever wishneshed," Carisi slurred.

"Easy. Busted up a harem back in 2009—those girls were out of this world," Fin supplied.

"Any female cop," the tech volunteered. "Polishing her own badge, ifyannowhatImean."

The men guffawed and Barba drunkenly reflected that it was excellent Olivia wasn't here to hear this conversation. Which brought to mind—"I saw Olivia throw a guy onto the ground once. Broke his nose." He paused to gulp his scotch. "Hottest thing I've ever seen."

Silence descended on the table. Fin's eyebrows nearly reached his hairline and Carisi was outright goggling. Rafael felt his cheeks warm and knew he was blushing. He would never live this down.


	6. betrayal

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: M  
Word Count: 307 (I just couldn't squeeze any more out!)  
thebarsondaily prompt: betrayal

* * *

 _From the previous drabble for 'blush'..._

" _I saw Olivia throw a guy onto the ground once. Broke his nose." He paused to gulp his scotch. "Hottest thing I've ever seen."_

 _Silence descended on the table. Fin's eyebrows nearly reached his hairline and Carisi was outright goggling. Rafael felt his cheeks warm and knew he was blushing. He would never live this down._

So what if they worked with Benson? Rafael nodded, standing by his statement. "Well, it _was_ hot." Whoops—he'd said that out loud. He frowned into his empty tumbler before realizing the table had gone silent. Looking up, he saw fear etched on the other faces. It could only mean one thing.

"She's right behind me, isn't she?"

"Sure am," came Olivia's highly amused voice as her hand landed on his shoulder. "Want me to give you a one-on-one demonstration?"

Carisi laughed nervously but Fin stood to go. "I'd better—"

"You'd better get your coat, Fin. Cragen called and said there were cops who needed a ride home." Olivia patted Rafael's shoulder, rather too firmly, he thought. Grumbling good-naturedly, the men stood and went to pay their bar tabs. Rafael lingered, not wanting to face Olivia just yet.

Or, you know, _ever_.

"Don't make me haul you out of your seat, Counselor," Olivia teased.

"I'm going," he muttered. Once outside, they piled into Olivia's car and she dropped them off one by one until it was just Rafael left. He had purposefully chosen the seat behind the driver's so he wouldn't have to make eye contact. He needed at least one day to move past his embarrassment.

"Are you going to move up front?" Olivia asked. And damn but she was still laughing at him.

"They could've warned me you were there," he groused.

"Aw, and deprive me of the one thing I can hold over your head for the rest of my life?" She leaned up to look at him in the rearview mirror, making a pouty face. "What fun would that be?"

"It's standard bro code," he protested, knowing he sounded petulant, but unable to stop himself. They had betrayed him in the most humiliating way.

Olivia chuckled as she drove toward his building.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone who provided feedback and wanted to know what happened next!**


	7. bruise

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: M  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: bruise  
notes: So this is a slightly more aggressive/playful Olivia than I usually write, but what can I say? I think she's just as sexy when she takes charge as Barba does.

* * *

 _From the previous drabble for 'betrayal'..._

 _They had betrayed him in the most humiliating way._

 _Olivia chuckled as she drove toward his building._

When they arrived, Olivia deepened his mortification by insisting on walking him up. "Maybe I'll get a chance to cuff someone while you're watching," she prodded.

Rafael groaned and followed her up the stairs to his apartment. As he was fumbling for his keys, Olivia suddenly pressed him against the door and pulled his arms loosely behind his back, holding his wrists together.

"Have you lost your mind—"

"Just thought I'd give you something to remember me by," she murmured into his ear, and Rafael's traitorous cock stiffened. She slipped a hand into his pocket to extract his keys, and he ground his teeth together trying not to beg her to dip just a bit lower.

From his position plastered against his own door with one sexy-as-hell detective plastered to his back, he reflected that maybe he ought to let her arrest him sometime. He could use the experience to fuel his lonely fantasies for years to come.

"Wouldn't want to bruise your pretty face," Olivia said, stepping back and releasing him. She handed him his keys and he took an unsteady breath before opening his door. She smiled sweetly at him, taking the sting out of her teasing. "See you Monday?" she asked gently as she turned to leave.

Rafael thought very hard about the words he was about to say, examining them from all angles and running through the likely responses he'd receive. Then, the part of him that had imbibed all the scotch earlier in the evening made the decision to go for it. "I'll see you in my dreams tonight, Olivia," he drawled, waiting just long enough for her to turn around, her mouth rounded in an _o_ of surprise. Then he fell back into his apartment and shut the door before she could answer.


	8. regret

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: M  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: regret  
Notes: RussianWolf7: "Write me more Barson?" Me, in my Severus Snape voice: "Al…ways."

* * *

 _From the previous drabble for 'bruise'..._

" _I'll see you in my dreams tonight, Olivia," he drawled, waiting just long enough for her to turn around, her mouth rounded in an o of surprise. Then he fell back into his apartment and shut the door before she could answer._

An hour later found Olivia sitting on her couch in the dark, watching some rom-com and thoroughly regretting goading Barba. There was no excuse for her behavior—but there _were_ reasons she shouldn't have pressed him up against his door.

They were colleagues, for starters, and she didn't want to affect their working relationship. And secondly: they were friends. There was a definite line that friends didn't cross, and offering to cuff your friends crossed that line.

Imagining all the things that might have happened if you had followed your friend into his apartment: also crossing the line. Case closed, Counselor.

Sighing, Olivia stood and went to the kitchen to pour herself another glass of wine. She needed to take the rest of the weekend to reset so that when she next saw Rafael, they would be back to normal.

If also a little embarrassed.

But she could put it behind her and she knew he would want to as well. From the couch, her phone beeped. Eyeing the illuminated screen—because who else would be texting at two in the morning?—she added more wine until her glass was full. She slurped enough that it wouldn't spill, then carefully returned to the couch and checked her messages.

 _I'm still thinking about you, Olivia._

Olivia's heart skipped a beat and then galloped into a new rhythm. This was _not_ 'putting it behind them'; in fact this was so far across the line that she couldn't even _see_ the line anymore. _Shit_.

Her fingers flew over the keys: _Go to bed, Barba._

His response was immediate: _My bed is lonely._

A reluctant smile tugged at her lips. Nevertheless: _That sounds like a_ you _problem._

 _Olivia, Olivia...my problem is alllll you._

She drained the rest of her wine in one long swallow.


	9. pause

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: pause  
Note: This is for RussianWolf7 who requested to know what happens next. And on a larger-scale note, thank you so _very_ much to all my new Barson lovelies who have left such nice words on these drabbles. I've been in the Harry Potter fandom for so long that I was afraid to try something new, but you all have made the change much happier than I would have ever imagined! Much internet love to you all! (Also I am highly promptable, so prompt away.)

* * *

 _From the previous drabble for 'anger'..._

" _Remind me never to make you angry," he said drily, stepping into the space._

 _Olivia stopped, wiped her brow, and took a deep breath. Then she spun the dummy around to face him and he came face to face with...himself. A rather rumpled, clearly abused print out of his face, plastered onto the dummy's head. Into the ensuing silence, Olivia chirped, "Too late, Barba."_

Rafael dipped his head in acknowledgement. Their relationship had been strained thanks to Olivia's relationship with a _different_ colleague.

"You know I had to disclose—"

"Just because I know it doesn't make me happy about it!" Olivia landed another blow on the dummy.

"Fair enough." Rafael struggled to think of some way to smooth things over. He watched as Olivia refocused on the boxing dummy. A crazy idea came to him, but what did he have to lose?

He stripped off his jacket, then his vest and tie. The sound of fists hitting stuffed cloth stopped as he removed his suspenders and rolled up his sleeves. That done, he stepped forward onto the mat.

"What are you doing?" she snapped.

Rafael held his arms out. "You want to take it out on me, go ahead."

She frowned. "Not funny."

"I'm never funny. Hit me."

"I'm not going to hit you, Barba."

"Fine. Then do one of your police take-down moves. We need to work through this and I don't know what else to do."

Before the last word had left his mouth, she'd flipped him over her shoulder and he was lying on the floor staring at the ceiling, trying to catch his breath. Olivia crouched next to him, smirking.

"Well, that _was_ fun." Then she sighed. "I don't know why you're so fixated on this."

He quirked a brow at her. "Don't you?"

Olivia shook her head as a blush stained her cheeks. "I'm not sleeping with Tucker. We're just...exploring our options."

He paused, then swung his leg and swiped her feet out from under her. While she was still stunned, he surged forward and reversed their positions, pinning her to the floor. "Let me give you another option, then," he said and pressed his lips against hers.

* * *

 **a/n: I'll go back and re-order these properly at some point so that this appears after ch. 3.**


	10. midnight

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: midnight

* * *

 _From the previous drabble for 'regret'..._

 _[text message:] Olivia, Olivia...my problem is alllll you._

 _She drained the rest of her wine in one long swallow._

Olivia hesitated, then shored up her courage—and threw caution to the wind—and knocked.

The door swung open almost immediately, and a very rumpled Rafael raised his eyebrows at her. "Didn't your mother tell you nothing good ever happens after midnight?"

"Yeah, funny thing about that. My mom wasn't your typical parent." Olivia gave him a raised eyebrow right back. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Rafael looked at her consideringly, all while taking a long pull from a bottle of beer. "How drunk are you?" he asked instead.

A smile crept across Olivia's face and she relaxed. "Not nearly as drunk as you," she replied.

"Well, then, c'mon in," he said, sweeping an arm out grandly.

Olivia stepped into his apartment and glanced around, taking in the ultra-modern décor and the files piled up on the dining table. And the coffee table. And the kitchen counter.

"Geez, Barba. Didn't _your_ mom ever tell you not to bring your work home with you?"

"Excellent point. Remind sober-me to tell sober-you that I won't be busting my butt to win your cases from now on. I'm sure you'll take it well." He came up behind her and handed her a beer, then sat on his sofa. Olivia settled herself next to him, but not too close. She wasn't sure where this was going, just that she hadn't wanted to sit by herself in her apartment.

They drank in silence for a while. Then: "Are we going to be weird about this?" he asked.

"Probably," Olivia sighed, staring at her bottle.

"In that case—" Rafael set his bottle the end table and scooted closer to her. "Might as well make things completely awkward between us," he explained, placing one hand on her neck and pulling her lips to his.


	11. hug

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: M  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: hug  
Note: You guys...I think this is the end of the line for this particular plotline in the drabble series. *ducks things being thrown at her* I'm awful at endings. But I promise to keep writing other Barson drabbles!

* * *

 _From the previous drabble for 'midnight'..._

" _Might as well make things completely awkward between us," he explained, placing one hand on her neck and pulling her lips to his._

Olivia angled her head and kissed him back. This was why she had come over, wasn't it?

Rafael pressed his advantage, pulling her closer to him and dominating her mouth with his own. Their tongues dueled and Olivia almost laughed, thinking about how often they'd verbally flayed each other instead. Then his hands slid to her hips and the impulse to laugh was replaced by the need to feel him _everywhere_. Olivia wrapped her arms around him and fell backwards, taking him with her.

She stroked her hands over his back, to the nape of his neck, around to his chest—everywhere she could reach. Rafael growled and trailed his mouth down her neck to bury his face between her breasts. He began to unbutton her blouse, then stopped. "Is this alright?" he panted.

"If you stop now, I really will throw you on the ground and arrest you," she replied. He smiled that wolfish grin of his and she melted. Then he surprised her by wrapping her up in a tight squeeze and resting his forehead against hers.

"You aren't doing this with every ADA that comes through your unit, are you?" he joked, but Olivia could hear the vulnerability in his tone.

"I don't usually end up in a horizontal hug with any of my other friends, no," Olivia said drily.

To her amusement, Rafael pouted. "Not even Alex Cabot?" He sighed dramatically. "There goes one of my favorite fantasies."

Olivia punched him lightly on the shoulder. "If you're nice, I'll tell you about the time we got caught under mistletoe together. But right now? My shirt isn't going to unbutton itself."

"I'm so thankful you overheard me at the bar," he muttered, hurrying to help her out of her clothes. Olivia was glad of it as well.


	12. snow

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: snow

* * *

"I don't think that's a good idea. Maybe in a year, when things at the national level are more settled..."

Olivia tuned out the rest of Barba's disappointing explanation. She had been hammering at his resolve regarding a case that he didn't want to try, and it seemed like she was still getting stonewalled. Frustration welled and she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Barba kept walking, completely oblivious to her absence. No doubt he was still lecturing about the legalities of the case...

Without over-thinking it, Olivia bent down and scooped up a handful of snow. She pressed it into a ball and took a deep breath before lobbing it straight at his back. It landed between his shoulder blades, then fell to the ground in slow-motion.

"What—" He whipped around and saw her standing there. He narrowed his eyes. "Did you honestly just hit me with a _snowball_?" he questioned, incredulous.

Olivia felt a sense of recklessness wash over her. Without breaking eye contact, she bent and grabbed another fistful of snow. She debated whether she should hit him in the face or the chest this time.

Then he spoke and settled it.

"Don't be chilidish, Olivia."

 _Thwap._ The snowball hit him square between the eyes and Olivia tried, unsuccessfully, to bite back her laugh.

"I can't believe you." He set his briefcase down and stared at her. Then he swooped down to grab some snow and lob it at her, all in one motion. Olivia shrieked and scurried behind a bench, using it for cover as she pelted him.

"I'm never taking another one of your cases ever again!" he called out, and when Olivia peeked over the edge of the bench, a snowball hit her forehead. "How do you like it now, Sergeant?" he smirked.


	13. umbrella

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 299  
thebarsondaily prompt: umbrella

* * *

Rafael hurried through the dreary downpour towards his office. Today's case had been uncharacteristically rough; he just wanted to shut his door and pour himself a scotch. And then maybe another two. As he approached, he saw Olivia headed towards the building as well. He sighed, resigned. He supposed he had to face the music at some point, but he _had_ been hoping for that drink first...

"Olivia! Hold up," he called out. But instead of waiting, she rushed to the door, pausing only to shake her umbrella off before slipping inside. Rafael rushed in, thinking maybe she just wanted to wait for him where it was dry, but the woman was already halfway down the long entry hall—and still speeding away from him. Cursing under his breath, Rafael followed. "Olivia, we have to talk."

However, she kept moving into a stairwell, rapidly descending to the bottom floor of the building. Panting now, Rafael made a note to himself that he needed to get to the gym more often. When he reached the lower level, he glanced around. He never came down here. He followed the sound of footsteps and saw his quarry entering a women's locker room.

That brought him up short. They had a locker room here? Then, another thought hit him. Maybe it wasn't Olivia after all? He hadn't caught a good glimpse of her face through the rain, but he would've sworn it was her. He lingered outside the door to the locker room for a while, but the woman never left. Another twenty minutes passed while he debated what to do. Damn—if it _was_ Olivia and she didn't want to talk to him, she probably would have scurried out through the ventilation pipes.

His mind made up, Rafael entered the locker room.

* * *

A/N: to be continued...


	14. close call

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: close call

 _From the previous drabble for 'umbrella':_

 _Damn_ _—_ _if it was Olivia and she didn't want to talk to him, she probably would have scurried out through the ventilation pipes._

 _His mind made up, Rafael entered the locker room._

* * *

The main locker room was empty so he continued to the shower area, where one faucet was on, steam curling up and over the curtain. "Olivia?" he asked carefully.

She stuck her face out of the stall and glared at him. "Your building never runs out of hot water," she said, sounding accusatory.

He wasn't sure what that had to do with anything. "And you needed a shower because..."

"Because after today I don't think I'll ever feel warm again." Her misery matched his own. Then she disappeared behind the curtain again.

Sighing, he leant one shoulder against the wall. "Today was...tough," he admitted. Her answering snort almost made him smile. "You know there's still appeals—"

"Or the chance that he'll sexually abuse some new kids," she retorted, obviously angry, but Rafael thought it sounded like she was crying, too.

"Right. So we'll get him then." Rafael jerked back when Olivia shoved her face right next to his.

"Oh, silver lining," she snapped. But he was right—there were tears running down her face along with the water.

"Liv—" He reached for her but she vanished again. He scrubbed his hand over his face. "Are you going to stay in there indefinitely?"

"Yep."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" he offered.

"That depends. Are you going to keep babbling?" came the grumpy response.

"I can be quiet, you know."

"Uhm hm." The skepticism in her voice was apparent.

"I can! On occasion." He was looking for a place to sit when he heard the main door open, and he panicked—he jumped into the shower with Olivia. Fully clothed.

And she was glaring daggers at him. "I didn't think _this_ was what you meant when you offered to stay!"

"It wasn't! Now sshh!" he hissed back.


	15. shower

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 299  
thebarsondaily prompt: shower

 _From the previous drabble for 'close call':_

 _He panicked_ _—_ _he jumped into the shower with Olivia. Fully clothed._

 _And she was glaring daggers at him. "I didn't think this was what you meant when you offered to stay!"_

" _It wasn't! Now sshh!" he hissed back._

* * *

"Olivia? Are you here?"

"It's Rollins!" Olivia whispered, looking frantically around the shower stall.

"I know that—oomphf."

Olivia had clapped her hand over his mouth, so he settled for glaring at her. He hoped his expression conveyed his annoyance.

"Amanda, yes, it's me," Olivia called out. "Just me. Alone."

Now Rafael rolled his eyes. If Rollins hadn't thought something was up before, she likely did now. Olivia mouthed _What now?_

He reached up to pull her hand away, then leaned down to whisper directly into her ear. "Just be calm. She'll leave soon."

"Tough day in court today," Rollins commented as the shower next to them turned on. If he hadn't been aware of the repercussions were he to be caught in the shower with Olivia, he would have asked the women: What was their obsession with the DA's office showers? He half expected Carisi to stroll in next.

"Yes, it was. I just came down here to warm up and—take a minute," Olivia blathered.

"Now who's babbling?" he asked into her ear, and she smacked his arm. While she and Rollins chit-chatted, he—finally—allowed his eyes to roam down, down, down. He doubted he would ever find himself in a shower with a naked Olivia Benson ever again, so he wanted to sear these images into his brain.

But Olivia caught him. His cheeks flushed and she narrowed her eyes, promising retribution.

"Too bad Barba couldn't seal the deal today," Rollins commented. Rafael ground his teeth together.

"Yeah, he's really losing his touch," Olivia answered gleefully. The minx was enjoying this...

Rafael reached out and trailed one finger from her naked shoulder to her wrist. The way her pupils dilated told him all he needed to know—she didn't think he was losing his touch.


	16. forgive

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: forgive

 _From the previous drabble for 'shower':_

 _Rafael reached out and trailed one finger from her naked shoulder to her wrist. The way her pupils dilated told him all he needed to know_ _—_ _she didn't think he was losing his touch._

* * *

"Are you insane?" Olivia hissed at him. He merely smiled at her and relaxed against the far wall of the shower stall. His suit was a soggy mess and he wasn't sure how he was going to get back up to his office and his spare change of clothes like this, but he didn't care at the moment. She was glorious when she was mad, after all.

It was part of the reason he provoked her so often.

Unfortunately, she was also glorious when she was naked, and there was nowhere for her to hide in this tiny stall. Rafael didn't have the willpower to keep his eyes on her face so he tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling instead.

Next to them, Rollins' shower turned off. "Are you headed back to the precinct soon, Liv?" she asked.

"Not yet. I, uh, need to go see Barba," Olivia answered. Rafael bit his lip to keep from smiling at her uncharacteristic floundering.

"Good luck with that." They heard the sounds of Rollins toweling off and gathering her things. "Don't let him get under your skin, okay?"

With that, their unexpected guest was gone. Rafael exhaled and felt the tension leave his body. "You were right, the water really is still hot," he observed.

Olivia turned the shower off with more force than was probably necessary and whipped her towel off the curtain rod, covering up all her lovely curves. "What are you waiting for? Get out!"

"And miss the show? Not likely," he drawled. Purely to get her hackles up, of course.

"You know, you really are an ass," Olivia muttered as she shoved past him, grabbed her clothes, and headed to the changing area.

"Best in the business," Rafael pointed out.

"I'll never forgive you," she snarled.


	17. rain

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: rain

 _From the previous drabble for 'forgive':_

 _"You know, you really are an ass," Olivia muttered as she exited the shower, grabbed her clothes, and headed to the changing area._

 _"Best in the business," Rafael pointed out._

 _"I'll never forgive you," she snarled._

* * *

"I didn't think you would," he countered. Then he got to work attempting to remove his suit coat, which was difficult given how much water it had absorbed. That done, he began on the multitude of buttons on his vest and shirt. He cursed softly as he wrestled off the wet linen; then sat to remove his shoes. He poured—yes, poured—the excess water out of each shoe before setting it aside. He removed his socks and pants before finding a towel to wrap around his waist and one to go around his shoulders. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best he could do. Gingerly he folded up his clothing and squeezed as much water as he could from the garments before tucking them into a spare trash bag.

"I'm going back to the precinct—what are you doing?!" Olivia shrieked when she exited the changing room and saw him.

He ignored her question and instead addressed her first comment. "Why are you going back to the precinct? You'll just get drenched in the rain, and you told Rollins you needed to talk to me."

"That was just so she wouldn't wait on me. Are you really going upstairs like that?"

"It's better than the alternative, don't you think?"

"No. Not at all." She frowned. "You do have a point about the rain, though. I guess I can come up."

"Good. You can keep Carmen occupied while I get dressed in my office. And then I'm finally going to have my scotch."

"Wait, you aren't even going to talk to me?"

He gave her a long look. "I didn't get the impression you wanted to. Besides, I need some time alone to relive the best twenty minutes of my entire existence."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Barba."


	18. secret

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: secret

 _From the previous drabble for 'rain':_

 _"Besides, I need some time alone to relive the best twenty minutes of my entire existence."_

 _Olivia rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Barba."_

* * *

He stopped in the corridor outside his office. "What happened is our little secret; can you handle that, Lieutenant?"

"Sure thing, Counselor," Olivia replied. She sounded highly amused and he knew she was just waiting for the uproar that she expected when he walked into his office wearing a couple of towels. Little did she know that he'd hired his staff for their discretion as much as their legal talent. He didn't expect Carmen to bat an eye. Still...

"I mean it. Even if someone asks you outright why I'm carrying my clothing, you know nothing, okay?" He stared at her until she nodded, and only then did he proceed into his office antechamber.

"Good afternoon, Mr.—uh, Mr. Barba. Lieutenant Benson." Carmen's eyebrows did rise when she saw him, but she managed to choke down whatever surprise she felt. "I'll hold your calls," she added, the slightest hint of a smirk showing.

"Thank you, Carmen. Please make sure Olivia is comfortable." He swept towards his door, his head held high.

"You're really going to ignore me?" Olivia asked.

He glanced over his shoulder. "You're welcome to join me while I dress," he said slowly.

Olivia scowled. "That's not—I didn't—never mind!"

"I'll be with you shortly." And with that, he entered his office and shut the door on her adorable, befuddled face. Dumping his bag of clothes on the floor, he moved to the bookshelf and poured himself his much-deserved scotch, knocking it back rather quickly. He refilled the glass and dropped into his chair, deciding how long he should make Olivia wait. Too long and she would leave; not long enough and she wouldn't wonder if he _had_ been in here "reminiscing" about their time in the shower.

A little on the long side it was, then.

* * *

 **A/N: to be continued...**

 **Also, apparently I'm a complete moron and have been writing Olivia as Sergeant, when actually she's a Lieutenant now. I was so confused in this week's episode when she answered the phone "Lieutenant Benson" and I thought she had been demoted...my poor husband had to explain the rankings to me. So I'm sorry for not catching that sooner!**


	19. urge

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: urge

 _From the previous drabble for 'secret':_

 _He refilled the glass and dropped into his chair, deciding how long he should make Olivia wait. Too long and she would leave; not long enough and she wouldn't wonder if he had been in here "reminiscing" about their time in the shower._

 _A little on the long side it was, then._

* * *

Several weeks went by after Shower Day, as Rafael thought of it, without further incident. He and Benson had fallen back into their usual rhythm and if he still thought about water sluicing down her body more often than was healthy between colleagues, well, at least she had no idea.

But it all went to hell one Tuesday morning when she rushed into their briefing at the precinct with still-wet hair. Rafael's thoughts immediately turned to the images he had so meticulously filed away: the afore-mentioned water droplets rolling down Olivia's body... the way her wet hair had plastered to her neck and shoulders... the pink flush of her skin that had been under the hot water for so long...

Torture. She was bent on torturing him. And now he had the urge to haul her back to the shower and put his hands all over her.

"Were you in my shower again?" he blurted out, unable to tear his eyes away from her hair.

If looks could kill, he would most certainly be dead. Olivia glared at him and bit out, "I've never been in _your_ shower, Counselor, and for your information, I was running late today because Noah vomited all over both of us right as I was leaving. Can we get to work on this case now?"

"Right. Sorry." He stuffed his hands into his pockets to keep them from reaching for her. He glanced away from her angry expression to note Rollins, Tutuola, and Carisi staring at him with surprise and a fair amount of amusement.

"What?" he snapped at them, shifting uncomfortably under their scrutiny.

"Didn't say a word," Fin said, then shook his head and chuckled. "She's gonna make you pay for that one, though," he muttered, giving Rafael a look.

"Undoubtedly," Rafael sighed.


	20. goodnight

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: M – heed the warning!  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: goodnight

 _From the previous drabble for 'urge':_

" _She's gonna make you pay for that one, though," he muttered, giving Rafael a look._

" _Undoubtedly," Rafael sighed._

* * *

"I'm heading out, Mr. Barba." Carmen popped her head into his office to wave. He nodded at her and returned his attention to the files in front of him. He should have left hours ago, but he hadn't been able to wrangle his thoughts together after the morning's gaffe with Olivia. He only hoped none of her squad truly thought she'd been cavorting in his shower.

Although... He twisted his chair away from his desk and let his head fall back. Closing his eyes, he imagined what it _would_ be like to have a willing Olivia in his shower. His apartment boasted a large stone shower with one of those fancy waterfall shower heads. He would spend at least the first ten minutes just soaping her up...

His hand dropped to rest on his growing erection. It was late, Carmen was gone, what was the harm?

"Barba?"

In his head he heard Olivia's voice. "Call me Rafi, _mamacita_ ," he muttered.

"Well, I hardly think that's going to fly in court."

Rafael shot out of his chair. He hadn't heard her come in—hadn't thought that was actually her voice. _Shit-fuck-damn_.

"Lieutenant. What are you doing here?" He swallowed thickly and hoped that his raging erection subsided as quickly as his blush.

"Interrupting, apparently," Olivia answered, smirking. She crossed her arms and leaned against his doorjamb. "So, Rafi. What's got you all hot and bothered tonight?"

No luck. His cheeks flamed redder than ever. "I'm sorry. About before." He cleared his throat and forged on. "Both in the precinct and, uh, just now."

Olivia straightened and smiled. "Apology accepted. You should go home—it's the weekend."

"Did you need something?" he asked, still unsure why she was here.

Her smile widened. "I was actually headed to the showers," she said. "Goodnight!"

* * *

 **A/N: to be continued...I promise! Sorry to leave it here! *ducks tomatoes being thrown at her***


	21. surrender

Author: HaughtyHippogriff  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 300  
thebarsondaily prompt: surrender

* * *

"Five dead."

The chief's words echoed, and Rafael's gaze immediately sought Olivia's. They were mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted from the case they'd just wrapped up, and now this. It was nearly unbearable.

And on top of everything else, he might have finally pushed the good lieutenant too far.

She stared steadily back, her brown eyes showing the same shock and discouragement he felt.

Chief Dodds cleared his throat. "I can tell I've interrupted something," he said, waving off their weak protests as he stood. "Go home, get some rest. We can regroup in the morning."

He exited the office and Olivia watched him go before dropping her head into her hands. Rafael suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, sitting here watching her have a moment of weakness. He could press her to answer his question—'disenchanted?'—but in the end he gave up.

"Goodnight," he said quietly. Olivia's head remained down. He stood and gathered his things, planning to head back to his office and get a handle on the firestorm that would be coming their way in the morning. He was nearly at the door when she spoke.

"Barba."

He paused, turned his head towards her.

"Stay?"

He turned to fully face her. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, his skepticism clear in his tone.

"I'm facing some uncomfortable truths," she admitted. "Like how you must feel every time I press you to get me a warrant or indict someone without evidence."

"We both know what I asked you to do was unforgiveable—"

She stood and came to him, placing her hand over his. "No, Rafael. You don't have to apologize. All you have to do is...stay."

He stared at this woman, the one who challenged him and amused him and always, always fought alongside him.

He stayed.

* * *

 **A/N: I realized I didn't actually use the _word_ surrender, but the meaning is there nonetheless. I have been listening to Alessia Cara's _Stay_ and that's how this came to be.**


	22. defense

**A little different than usual-just a quick ficlet for Lou on AO3-thanks for reading and prompting!**

* * *

"I'm sorry, no. I have to get home to Noah." Olivia kept her gaze carefully averted as she gave her excuse. Only once she had finished packing her briefcase did she look up.

Barba still stood in her doorway, but there was a distinct frown marring his features. "Really? _That's_ your defense?"

Olivia bristled. "I didn't realize I was on trial." She brushed past him as she exited her office and made for the elevators, hoping he would let this go.

Unfortunately, he followed. "Oh, it's a good thing you aren't on trial, because I suspect someone would have just perjured herself," he countered.

She ground her teeth together. He was _right_ , damn him—Lucy had taken Noah for an overnight with her and her nephew. Olivia had the whole glorious evening to herself. She hadn't quite figured out what to do yet, actually, but taking a potential "next step" with Rafael Barba was not on her list.

Because as appealing as it sounded—and oh, it sounded appealing—it was also terrifying.

He'd asked her for drinks more and more frequently of late, and she had come up with excuse after excuse to avoid it. She knew she was running scared. He was right about her fib. But did he have to sound so _smug_ about it?

She practically jogged into the elevator and almost hit the Door Close button, but he'd already followed her in. She punched the button for the underground parking garage and scowled at him. "We can't all be hotshot attorneys," she fired back.

"I happen to know you have a child-free night," he said, ignoring her insult.

"Isn't this what you call witness badgering? Can I object?"

"It's on your email calendar. Anyone could have seen it." He relaxed against the handrail and drilled her with one of his patented gazes. "So, I've been able to determine three plausible reasons. One, you're free but you have a date with someone else. Two, you just don't like me very much." He paused and Olivia narrowed her eyes at him.

"Where's a good court recess when you need one?" Olivia muttered. For some reason this made him smile.

"Or, three: you're _afraid_ of how much you like me." He placed his hands on hips just like he did whenever he made an important point in court.

Olivia scoffed. She needed to tell him how wrong he was. And she would, just as soon as she could find the words. Surely they were here somewhere...

The longer she stood, racking her brain, the bigger his smile grew. She was saved from answering when the doors opened on her floor. She stormed past him, intent on getting to her car and getting _away_ , when he lightly gripped her arm and used her own momentum to swing her around to face him. What was left of her defenses crumbled when she realized they were just a hairsbreadth apart.

"If it's one or two, Olivia, please just say so," he murmured, and her name on his lips in just that tone was her undoing.

"It's three," she confessed grumpily, annoyed when Barba chuckled.

"I know," he said, leaning forward slowly, giving her time to adjust. "I never ask a question in court that I don't already know the answer to."

"We're really going to have a problem if you treat our relationship like a court case—" she started, but then his lips touched hers and Olivia forgot what she had been fighting so hard against. All her emotions for this man bubbled to the forefront, and she dropped her bag to wind her arms around his neck. He scooped her up and set her on the trunk of the nearest vehicle, stepping between her knees to kiss her more enthusiastically.

Then he broke away and smirked up at her. "Just as long as we both know that I always win—"

Olivia shoved his shoulder playfully and then shut him up with another kiss.

* * *

 **A/N: Dearest Lou, this didn't end up particularly smutty but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
